Rev. John O’Dell is observing his 50th year in the ministry next month.
The two church families he pastors, Haley Chapel United Methodist and Mt. Carmel United Methodist, have survived through the generations, and have grown or sometimes diminished in number over the years, but the church doors are still open and life pulsing within to worship and serve the Lord.

It sounds rather like an oxymoron, but “grief” is something in life that everyone eventually experiences, and adding the word “good” can describe a healthy, healing realization and acceptance of the loss of a loved one.

Vontella McEndollar of the Wheatland Home and Community Education Unit was recently awarded with a Certificate of Recognition for 63 years of membership in the Fayette County Home and Community Education organization.

Every Thursday, from two to 10 women gather at Haley Chapel to exchange recipes (and samples), share ideas, introduce different crafts and patterns, share food on their “break,” and, most important of all, enjoy their friendships and all the good things that involves.

When Caitlyn Campbell was a small child, she hated dogs. They scared her.

But when her grandparents, Wynn and Sarah Provines, bought a pug puppy, it changed everything. Not only did she overcome her fear of dogs, but she and Charlie the pug became inseparable. They did everything together. And she took countless pictures of her four-legged playmate.

Sharon Wilhelm enjoys the tranquility of sitting on her front porch in the evenings, watching the many hummingbirds flock to her feeders, and hearing the constant whirring of their wings as they fly about.

The surrounding, scenic, view is also comforting and remindful of pleasant memories, as she was born and lived in a house in the woods nearby, until her father built the present house when she was 4 years old.

Meet Sharon as she shares her enjoyment of the hummingbirds and some of her childhood memories of her rural Brownstown home.

Decsribed in the scripture is “a worthy woman,” quoted here, in part, who “works with her hands in delight,” “brings food,” “stretches out her hand to the needy,” “strength and dignity are her clothing,” “smiles at the future,” “opens her mouth in wisdom,” “the teaching of kindness is on her tongue,” “does not eat the bread of idleness,” … “for her worth is far above jewels."

When Julie Wollerman was sworn into office by Judge Gene Schwarm on July 18, she became the new superintendent of Regional Office of Education No. 3 (Bond, Fayette and Effingham counties), the first woman to serve in the position.

When she was a young girl living in England years ago, Anne Eddings brought home every stray cat to care for. Years later, when she was living in the United States, in Missouri, she found herself taking in and caring for wild animals that had been injured or left motherless.